


Gingerbread Christmas

by ForgottenChesire



Series: Christmas Presents 2016 [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas fic, Deus Ex Chuck, Fluff and Angst, Gen, John Comes Back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 20:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenChesire/pseuds/ForgottenChesire
Summary: It's the first Christmas since Mary has come back to life. Unfortunately, she left the boys unable to see them as her boys. But is she really gone? And is Chuck done finally giving the boys the thanks they deserve?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a late, late Christmas present. And I haven't seen the newest episodes so Mary's characterization is probably off. Hope y'all like it anyways.

The smell of gingerbread is what wakes Dean up from his dreams of pies and Christmas dinners. For a moment he allows his mind to travel back to the past.

 

_ The kitchen is decorated and gingerbread men lay cooling on trays. He’s standing on a chair making grabby hands at the icing his mother holds. _

 

_ “I wanna dress ‘em! I wanna dress ‘em!” _

 

_ “Okay, okay. Careful baby, you don’t want to fall.” His mother had walked over to him, a smile on her face. _

 

His mother’s laughter, the memory of it at least, follows him as he leaves his room and walks toward the kitchen. He’s armed, the years of training his father put him through won’t be broken by a few in a heavily fortified home. None of the people living in the bunker know how to make gingerbread unless Sam looked it up without telling anyone. And their mother, the only person Dean can see making it, left them. Couldn’t handle the fact that they weren’t the little boys she left behind in heaven. Dean pretends that fact doesn’t hurt like a son of a bitch. 

 

It is, therefore, a surprise to Dean, and Sam when he comes in later, to see Mary Winchester pulling out trays of gingerbread men, talking to Cas like she hadn’t rocked Dean’s world when she left. She sees him standing there in the doorway and pauses. Hesitation and regret and something else showing on her face. She clears her throat.

 

“I know it’s not much of an apology but… I couldn’t miss a Christmas with you both,” her voice cracks and Dean thinks he sees her eyes tear yo.

 

“How did you get her?”

 

Castiel gives him a bitch face worthy of Sam, which he ignores focusing on his mother. Her face scrunches up slightly.

 

“I asked Castiel for a ride,” she says. Dean chuckles weakly.

 

“Flying Angel Air sucks doesn’t it?”

 

“It does… Do… would you… want to help me dress them?” she asks gesturing with the tray. Dust gets into his eyes, that is the reason why he’s crying. It has nothing to do with dreaming for years of hearing ask him for help in the kitchen, of her being back. Of having a proper Christmas with a parent who wasn’t drowning in grief.

 

“Mom?” Sam’s voice seems to echo.

 

“Hey, Sam.”

 

It’s a little awkward but they power through it like true Winchesters and even end up enjoying decorating the gingerbread men together. Sam and Cas may or may not have ended up with icing on their faces. Mary pulls them in for a hug, all three of them, kissing them on their cheeks. Tears are falling down her face when she pulls back.

 

“I… uh bought you boys presents. Don’t know if you’ll like them but I tried.”

 

“I’m sure we’ll love them,” Sam assures their mother. That’s when it really hits Dean that  _ this _ is the first Christmas Sam has had with Mary. She smiles at him.

 

“I’ll understand if I don’t have any presents under the tree. I did show up unexpectedly.”

 

The boys flush, maybe it was childlike hope that she would change her mind and come back, but both of them had bought her something. Nothing large, just little gifts to show that even if they weren’t the ones she remembered they still loved her. Together they head into the front room, steps light and happiness almost shining off of them. Decorations were sparse in the bunker despite it being a virtual cornucopia of all things but Dean likes to think he did a damn fine job anyways. He even managed to get them a real tree. The decorations or lack thereof is not noticed as there is something that steals their attention. Snoring softly on the couch is someone that neither Sam nor Dean thought they would ever see again.

 

“John?”

 

“Dad!?”

 

There is a bow tied to John Winchester’s wrist like he is a gift. Hesitantly Mary inches toward her husband.

 

“Cas… Is…” something is stuck in his throat, making it hard for Dean to speak. Thankfully Cas understands what he wants to say and assesses the sleeping man.

 

“That is, in fact, John Winchester.”

 

With that conformation, Mary rushes forward. Dean wants to follow his mother’s example. Fuck does he want to act like a child and rush to his father’s side. But he can’t. He  _ can’t _ . This is too good. Far too good. Shit like this doesn’t happen for free, Knowing his luck he is stuck in another djinn world. Sam approaches their father, grabbing the note attached to the bow. Mary’s hand hovers over John, wanting to wake him but wanting to let him sleep so she can just take him in.

 

“Since you two helped me so much, I thought it only right that you get the first Christmas miracle that is actually my doing,” Sam reads out loud.

 

Still, Dean doesn’t move. _Deus_ ex Chuck is a big pill to swallow. But then John stirs.

 

“Mary? Sammy? What? Where? Dean?”

 

For a moment John looks worried, then his eyes land on Dean and the worry goes away.

 

“Dad,” Sam starts and Mary throws herself onto John.

 

“Where am I? This isn’t where I was,” John asks. His hand is cupping the back of his wife’s head as he hugs her the best he can. His eyes are soft with emotions Dean only has a vague memory of seeing in connection to his father. Castiel places a hand on Dean’s shoulder, silent support as Dean wavers between breaking down and staying strong.

 

“God decided he wanted to back in the swing of miracles,” Dean forces out, aiming for sarcastic. He doesn’t think he makes it as he finally goes to his father. The hug that Dean pulls John into, dislodging the man from his wife, is a strong one. Mary and Sam join in making it the first ever complete hug… well almost complete.

 

“Cas get your feathery ass over here.”

  
Castiel joins them, Dean feels at home with everyone he loves gathered around him. The opening of presents is put off in favor of catching John up with… almost everything. Some things, like Dean selling his soul and Sam saying yes to the devil, are glossed over in an effort to keep the day joyous. Dean can tell that John knows things are being left out, and hell the man is taking everything rather well considering. The presents end up being forgotten as the small family reconnects.  _ This, _ Dean thinks,  _ is a good Christmas. _ And if his luck holds out his dad won’t flip out about Cas when the euphoria of being alive wears off.


End file.
